Beloved Epiphany friends–

What do you get when you get everything you want right this instant? No chance to feel the thrill of anticipation, and that’s a shame.

Children might well be annoyed with having to wait for the presents they will receive. Someone who’s expecting that they will be asked to married may get sick and tired of the guessing when it will actually happen. Even mothers-to-be in the last trimester may be thinking “alright, already, I am ready to have this kid OUT right now!”

It’s a natural feeling, isn’t it?

But one of the lessons we learned about patience these past months is that when the thing we hoped for is starting to happen, we know a frisson of happiness that it is FINALLY happening.

Remember when we were able to have in-person services for the first time in many months? We had thought about what it would be like, and comforted ourselves with the idea that we would go back to the way things were.

Well, it wasn’t quite like the way things were. It was somewhat different, of necessity, for everyone’s safety. But it was sweet and joyful. The one thing we had gotten right in our anticipation was that it would feel marvelous. And it was that.

Think about the Gospel we will hear this coming week: John the Baptist is back, issuing a sharp slapdown to the religious leaders who came to hear him at the River Jordan, and it’s easy to focus on their cluelessness and the harsh words John uses, but hang in there. Listen to what he says near the end of the Gospel: “someone who is more powerful than I is coming. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire…” 

Those who are observing John saying these things in Luke’s Gospel may hear hints of the Messiah to come in this language, and they would be right. And for the moment, anticipation about what that Messiah will do will buoy those who have come to be baptized by John, until the day that they see and hear and learn of Jesus. 

The Messiah they get may not be quite what they anticipated. It will be marvelous. Confusing, perhaps, but marvelous. But that feeling of anticipation will help them as they wait and ponder, and imagine…

…imagine! I’ll talk a little more about that next Wednesday. I can hardly wait.

Be blessed and be a blessing,

Mary+